Do you have any sort of a criminal record or any outstanding civil judgements? Please be specific.

No

BREAKING THE ICE

What is the best piece of political advice you ever received?

Don't take anything personally. When the debate is done, no matter how heated or tense it may be, remember that everyone is doing what they believe is the right thing. So, be respectful of all people and don't let personal feelings overtake the process, decorum, or your interactions with others.

What is your favorite book (besides a spiritual text)?

A very tough question because it's impossible to narrow it down to one...but it would probably be 1984 by George Orwell or The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand.

What favorite movie has meaning for you?

Star Wars - only because it was the first movie I saw at the old Cine Capri movie theater at 24th Street and Camelback.

What is your favorite place in Arizona?

My favorite place is Central Phoenix. It is where I have lived for over 12 years. The Central Phoenix area has become a vibrant, dynamic community. The growth we've seen in Downtown Phoenix over the last several years has been incredible. That being said, I love all of Arizona. As a native, I have traveled this state and know it like the back of my hand. Flagstaff, Bisbee, the White Mountains, etc. - Arizona is an incredibly diverse state and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

Which Arizona political figure past or present do you most admire and why?

I think at this point I would say Sandra Day O'Connor. Mainly due to the fact that her active role in trying to moderate and promote civil, productive dialogue in today's political environment is admirable. I had the chance to work with her two years ago on some initiative efforts and she is truly and incredible woman. If we had more people like Justice O'Connor in the political world today our country and our state would be better for it.

ISSUES

Has state government been spending too much money, the right amount, or not enough? Specifically, how would you change the state's approach to spending?

At this point, our state spending levels our incredibly low when it comes to two key areas: schools and healthcare. The lack of investment in these two areas is affecting our ability to remain competitive. We must begin investing in these two sectors if we want to make Arizona both regionally and globally competitive. Lack of investment in healthcare and education are negatively affecting our quality of life, our economy and our ability to create jobs.

Name one state agency or program you believe gets too much money. Why?

Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA). There is almost no oversight or accountability with this body right now. This body was meant to bring capitol investment and jobs into Arizona. Yet, we have no idea what's really taking place with the ACA. We need to know where this money is going and why it's going there. It seems to have become a slush fund for certain individuals to hand out money as they see fit, without any due process or accountability built into place. If re-elected, I will be working on reforming the Arizona Commerce Authority and ensuring Arizona tax dollars are not being wasted.

Name one state agency or program you believe gets too little money. Why?

As I said in an earlier question, our schools are woefully underfunded. We need more money for schools so that we can reduce class sizes and implement meaningful reforms to increase student achievement. If we continue to under fund our schools we are setting ourselves up for future failures. We need students who are prepared to enter the workforce so that Arizona can remain competitive and expand our economy.

If you favor further state tax cuts, name one tax that should be cut and why.

I do not support any further tax cuts. Governor Brewer and the Tea Party have been handing out tax cuts to special interests these last few years at the expense of middle class families, students, and small businesses. It must stop. We need long-term, comprehensive tax reform to create a tax system that is fair for everyone, businesses and individuals alike. We need to modernize and update our tax code so that it is simpler and more reflective of today's economy so that we can compete with other regions around the world. I have been a leading voice for tax reform and will continue to work on it. Governor Brewer's failed policies have done too much damage to Arizona. Enough is enough. We need real leadership on tax policy, not more political and ideological pandering to the Tea Party.

Do you think the 1-cent-per-dollar sales-tax measure should be extended? Why or why not?

If done so to benefit our schools and infrastructure, then yes. If extended and put into the General Fund to be used as a slush fund for Governor Brewer and the Tea Party, then no. The GOP majority has failed the citizens of Arizona. They refuse to adequately fund our schools. They refuse to fund KidsCare (Arizona is the only state in the nation not funding KidsCare). That is simply unacceptable. So, if the citizens of this state want to vote to extend the 1 cent sales tax to fund these types programs I support it. It's just unfortunate that Governor Brewer and the Tea Party have forced the citizens of Arizona to do the job they should be doing. If we extend the sales tax, however, we must sit down and talk about how to reduce the overall sales tax burden and overhaul our tax code to make it simpler and fairer. It is my hope that after this election year, we will begin to have serious conversations about our tax policies that will result in a Gubernatorial campaign in 2014 that has a serious and constructive debate on how to fix our broken tax system .

Is Arizona's budget too reliant on the sales tax? If so, what should be done to change the mix of revenues? If not, what should the state do to prevent cyclical drops in its revenue?

Yes. We need to look at closing the loopholes in our sales tax code and then actually lowering the base rate. This would allow us to make the sales tax more competitive, more stable, and actually reduce the burden for many individuals and small businesses. We cannot continue to rely on the sales tax to fund the state's programs.

Are there any circumstances under which you would favor a tax increase to offset future state budget deficits?

I never rule out anything. Taking an oath to not raise taxes or to raise taxes is counter to what we should be doing as elected officials, which is looking at the current circumstances surrounding an issue and making an informed and fair decision. As I've already said for this particular issue, what we need to be looking at is comprehensive tax reform. It's not about raising or lowering taxes, it's about fixing the tax code. Overall, the goal should be to make our tax code more competitive and more balanced, especially for middle class families and small businesses.

The fiscal 2013 budget contains a $450 million rainy-day fund. Were lawmakers prudent to set aside that much money, or should they use some of the money to restore programs cut over the last four years? If you favor some restoration, in what areas?

I think it was prudent to set aside money, though I think some of this money should have been used to fund schools, job creation programs, and KidsCare. The House Democratic budget set aside money and funded these programs. We have to save money AND invest in these key areas if we want to turn Arizona back around.

Lawmakers have structurally balanced the state budget for the last two years by cutting programs and relying on the temporary 1-cent sales tax, as well as federal stimulus dollars. The stimulus dollars are gone, the tax expires in June 2013 and various groups say the cuts have been too deep. How would you keep the budget in balance?

We have to overhaul our tax code and ensure we have revenues to meet our needs. We have to stop any further massive special interest tax cuts like the ones that the Tea Party and Governor Brewer have handed out these last several years. I am so tired of hearing Governor Brewer state Arizona has no money and then watching her turn around and give out over $1 billion in tax breaks to special interests and out of state corporations! That is unacceptable and must stop now.

Do you believe in greater transparency in the Legislature? What would you do to make it happen?

Yes. We need to ensure the budget is actually put together in the appropriations committee, not in backroom deals. We need to ban gifts from lobbyists and increase reporting requirements. Democrats have called for these types of actions for years and we will continue to work on them.

Was SB 1070 a good way to approach immigration policy? What action does Arizona need to take next to deal with the problem of illegal immigration?

No. The recent Supreme Court ruling showed why it was such a failed approach. Instead of the political grandstanding we've seen from Jan Brewer, or the lecturing from other Tea Party elected officials, Arizona needs to start working with the Federal Government to fix the problem. This is a complicated issue that must be addressed at all levels of government, but that won't happen if you have Arizona and the Federal Government continually fighting each other instead of trying to work together. We need leadership on this issue from both sides of the political aisle, not grandstanding. All sides need to come together and talk about long term reform and real border security.

CPS isn't investigating 100 percent of the reports it deems worthy of investigating. In fact, CPS has been unable to respond to hundreds of reports since at least October 2011, including those considered high risk. Do you believe CPS should respond to 100 percent of reports? If so, how would you make sure that happens?

Yes. Quite simply, we need to fully fund CPS and ensure all staff is adequately trained and held accountable. Protecting children should be our top priority. The inability of the Governor and the GOP majority to address the significant funding problems and issues at CPS has been one of the biggest failures of the past two legislative sessions. We must fix CPS and protect Arizona's most vulnerable citizens.

Would you vote to allow guns on campus? (Or similarly, would you vote to allow guns in public buildings?)

No. I'm a gun owner and fully believe in the right to bear arms, but there is no logical reason to introduce guns to schools or public buildings. Law enforcement and educators share this opinion.

Do you agree with defunding Planned Parenthood? And/or the 20-week abortion ban?

No and no. Planned Parenthood provides incredibly important non-abortion related family plannign and health services across Arizona. This continued right wing attack on the privacy of Arizona citizens must come to a stop. All adults should be able to make personal decisions without the interference of government.

Should Arizona act to declare "its sovereign and exclusive authority and jurisdiction over the air, water, public lands, minerals, wildlife and other natural resources within its boundaries"?

This is a complete waste of time that means and does absolutely nothing. Total waste of taxpayer dollars.

Should all employers be allowed to opt out of contraception coverage?

No.

There is likely to be a ballot measure this fall creating open primaries, where all candidates for an office compete in one election, and the top two vote-getters advance to the general election. It would be optional to list party affiliation. How do you plan to vote on this measure, if it qualifies for the ballot?

I'm not sure yet. I believe the concept has merits, but there are some potential problems with this particular ballot measure that may create some unintended consequences. I fully support trying to reduce the influence of political parties, but we also must be careful not to increase the influence of other special interests, so that is why I have some concerns. Any efforts to fix our primary system must be focused on increasing participation for people, not political parties or special interests. So, I'm still trying to determine if this measure would achieve that goal. At this point in time, I'm still undecided.

Would spending more money on public schools increase the quality of education in Arizona? Why or why not?

Yes. It must be coupled with reform as well, but we have to increase funding if we want our schools and our students to succeed. Reducing class sizes, hiring teachers, and improving technology all require money.

Do we need tougher restrictions on gifts to legislators? How would you change existing rules?

Yes. I introduced a bill to ban all gifts from lobbyists. Unfortunately, it didn't even get a hearing.

Arizona remains the only state in the country with a waiting list for KidsCare. Would you support funding to lift the enrollment freeze on KidsCare and eliminate the waiting list?

Yes. I have been one of the loudest voices in Arizona calling for funding for KidsCare. The fact that Arizona is the only state not funding KidsCare is an embarrassment. This is my top priority as a legislator and I will do everything in my power to restore funding to the program.